Virtual Learning

BRIEF SUMMARY

Virtual learning is a learning experience that is enhanced through utilizing computers and/or the internet both outside and inside the facilities of the educational organization. The instruction most commonly takes place in an online environment. The teaching activities are carried out online whereby the teacher and learners are physically separated (in terms of place, time, or both).

KEY POINTS

  • Virtual learning can be defined as distance learning conducted in a virtual learning environment with electronic study content designed for self-paced (asynchronous) or live web-conferencing (synchronous) online teaching and tutoring.
  • The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut all across the world.  As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.
  • About two in 10 U.S. school districts have already adopted, plan to adopt or are considering adopting virtual learning after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

SHARED WISDOM

  • In districts where at least 50 percent of students are Black or Hispanic/Latino or at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch rate, leaders continued to rank fundamentals like internet and technology access as greatest needs.  Leaders of the remaining districts more heavily emphasized student mental health and high-quality instructional resources rate as greatest needs. (eSchool News, January 2021)
  • Virtual School Counseling FAQs (from ASCA)
  • Q: What virtual platform is your school using to deliver education to your students that have opted to remain virtual instead of in person? Edmentum, Edgenuity, Other?
    • A: Edmentum to those students who failed 3 more classes 1st semester and Google Classroom provided by the teacher to the other E-Learning students.
  • Q: What are you and your SpEd staff doing to keep students with disabilities on track (academically and emotionally/behaviorally) that have chosen your school’s virtual option? Are you having success with what you are doing?
  • Q: How is everyone handling e-learning with their students? Does anyone have any creative ideas to share to support our students during this very stressful time?
    • A: Google Classroom has an Amazing site. Especially for Art. Some of our teachers are using that others are using Youtube and still others are using Schoology there is a whole video section in Schoology that you can open and record. Also, Quicktime is another option.
    • A: A few of our teachers are using Google hangouts to chat with students and allow them to chat with each other. Topics of discussion are not educational and more a check in on how things are going.
    • I am using zoom.com to do virtual morning meetings and SEL lessons.  I am also using getepic.com to access online books.  I can show the books with zoom.com.  Both of these resources are free right now.  I have asked a question in the video and have invited students to send me their response through posting on the video, email, or Google voice.  I even had one family video their child’s response.  It was so cute.  It is a great way to stay connected.
    • Some counselors have been using FlipGrid – https://info.flipgrid.com/ – in a similar way. They have free accounts for educators too, I believe.
    • Resources for grad students and K-12 (from ASCA Scene, March 2020)

RESOURCES

CONTACT TOPIC MANAGER

This is a ‘do it ourselves’ web site. So if you would like to help, or have information or resources to share, please contact us today.

[gravityform id=”6″ title=”false” description=”false”]